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Red Laser Build.

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lager562

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Jan 17, 2010
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hi
i need help building a red laser im a noob at this so yeah
i dont even know what a driver,heatsink,circuit, and everything else i was wondering if someone can tell me a good red laser build and maybe a diagram of a laser
i know you can get part of a laser in a DVD Burner. what kind of dvd burner does it have to be?
 





lager562 said:
hi
i need help building a red laser im a noob at this so yeah
i dont even know what a driver,heatsink,circuit, and everything else i was wondering if someone can tell me a good red laser build and maybe a diagram of a laser
i know you can get part of a laser in a DVD Burner. what kind of dvd burner does it have to be?
Click to expand...


first off to start, Welcome to the forum.

Before you ask anymore questions, please search the forum for what you seek.

There are many discussions already in motion with all the information that you seek.;)

search.gif


Once you are familiar with what is what, feel free to ask more specific questions, and you will be lasing in no time.
 
Hello lager562,

To get a functional laser, you will need at a minimum these parts:

-Laser diode
-Focusing module
-Driver
-Power source
-Tools and misc. items to put it all together (soldering iron, wires, ect.)

For a red laser, the long open-can diode from the LPC-815 sled is a good place to start. It's a relatively inexpensive (~$10) sled and contains a ~250mw red diode that can be extracted. To focus your laser, a very commonly used module is the Aixiz module (~$4); You will need to extract the laser diode from the sled and press it into the Aixiz module. Alternatively, you can purchase a pre-extracted diode that has already been pressed into a module.

Next, for the driver you have a number of options to choose from. You can build your own "DDL" driver as shown in this thread: http://laserpointerforums.com/f42/diy-homemade-laser-diode-driver-26339.html. Or you can pick a pre-built driver such as the rkcstr or flexdrive driver.

Finally, you will need a power source for your laser. This can be in the form of a plug-in AC adapter, or just a few batteries if you want portability. The voltage your power source will need to supply depends on the diode you use, and the type of driver you pick. This power source will be connected to the driver, which will then power your laser.

Additionally, if you are willing to spend more money, you can make/buy a heatsink to increase the duty cycle of the laser, and purchase a nice host to put it all in.

BTW, it might help to search the forums first before you ask any questions. There is a lot of information to be found in older threads. If after searching you can't find the answer, then you can post your question.
 
oh yeah and is it depending on what diode you have to change the color of the laser?
and also i can a diode form a DVD Burner?
 
Hi,

from your questions, I see that you don't know much about electronics... I don't want to discourage you but i'll give you a bit of a reality check... you do need some basic knowledge and understanding of electronics. If you try to build a laser without this knowledge, your project will invariably fail.

Start at the beginning before attempting to build a laser, you need to know which part does what, how electronic components interact, you have to grasp the concepts of wattage, voltage, amperage and resistance.

Frankly, this site has an amazing amount of information on it if you search, but it is of little value if you can't understand what it all means...

If you're really serious about electronics hobbying, get an "electronics basics" book and start at the beginning... otherwise, I would recommend to buy an already build laser like this one: DealExtreme: $21.75 Focusable 100mW High Power Red Laser Pointer (2*CR2)

Trust me, there's no "connect this to that" simple recipe...

Robert
 
i cant order from deal extreme since i live in the US no lasers 5mw or up does this apply for other websites to? and if yea would i have to buy all the lasers part by part?
 
spectral532 said:
Hello lager562,
For a red laser, the long open-can diode from the LPC-815 sled is a good place to start. It's a relatively inexpensive (~$10) sled and contains a ~250mw red diode that can be extracted.
Click to expand...

I am also relatively new at this stuff, although I do have a fair bit of electronics background. My question is how to acquire a diode. Where can you get this diode sled you speak of for $10? I bought a DVD burner today but the diode seems to be glued into a heat sink and it doesn't resemble any of the open or closed can pictures I've seen, as it isn't cylindrical. I'm fine to spend $10 or more on a new one but from where?
 
photonaholic said:
They are all over the net ;)
Click to expand...

I checked StoneTek, they only have one type of diode and it's a BluRay one, and Aixiz, and they have one for $40: AixiZ but I'll keep looking.

Also, I was under the impression that because I live in the US I couldn't buy just a diode of this power I had to harvest one from a DVD Burner. Is this not the case?

EDIT: And if I am to buy a DVD Burner, how do I know which kind to get? This seems like the kind of info that would be asked hundreds of times on these forums but I have spent all day searching and I still haven't found a list of what DVD Burner to buy for a specific diode, etc.
 
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jkoeller said:
I checked StoneTek, they only have one type of diode and it's a BluRay one, and Aixiz, and they have one for $40: AixiZ but I'll keep looking.

Also, I was under the impression that because I live in the US I couldn't buy just a diode of this power I had to harvest one from a DVD Burner. Is this not the case?

EDIT: And if I am to buy a DVD Burner, how do I know which kind to get? This seems like the kind of info that would be asked hundreds of times on these forums but I have spent all day searching and I still haven't found a list of what DVD Burner to buy for a specific diode, etc.
Click to expand...

Welcome to the forums jkoeller,

The LPC-815 sled can be found at modwerx. You can also find the Aixiz module on that same site. Keep in mind that you will need to manually extract the diode from the sled and press it into the Aixiz module. Or, if you don't want to extract and press the diode yourself, you can buy the pre-made module.

You can buy high power diodes in the US no problem. But if you are purchasing a high power laser from an international source (such as DealExtreme) you may encounter problems with customs. Companies such as O-like will still ship high power lasers to the US, but DealExtreme no longer does so due to customs issues.
 
spectral532 said:
Welcome to the forums jkoeller,

The LPC-815 sled can be found at modwerx. You can also find the Aixiz module on that same site. Keep in mind that you will need to manually extract the diode from the sled and press it into the Aixiz module. Or, if you don't want to extract and press the diode yourself, you can buy the pre-made module.

You can buy high power diodes in the US no problem. But if you are purchasing a high power laser from an international source (such as DealExtreme) you may encounter problems with customs. Companies such as O-like will still ship high power lasers to the US, but DealExtreme no longer does so due to customs issues.
Click to expand...

Excellent, just the info I needed. Thanks!
 
lager562 said:
what is blu-ray? do you recomend this one LPC-815 650nm red laser diode in focusing module - $18.99 : Modwerx Shop
or this one PHR-803T blu-ray laser diode in focusing module - $18.99 : Modwerx Shop
Click to expand...

I went with the 650nm one because if you look up the non pre assembled versions of those two on modwerx you find that the 650nm has twice the power output for the same price. If my understanding is correct the only difference besides that is the wavelength and therefore the color. The 650nm is red and the 405nm is more of a violet color. If someone more knowledgeable sees this correct me if I'm wrong.
 
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